The men’s squad recorded three runners in the top-30, while Katie Hirko takes third for the women.

BOONE, N.C. (Oct. 12, 2012) – ETSU men’s cross country earned its best team finish of the season with third-place while the women’s team finished eighth at the Blue Ridge Open on Friday in Boone, N.C.

The men’s squad tabbed three Buccaneers in the top-30 out of the 146 man field. Junior Anders Ludvigsen (Odense, Denmark) led the Bucs with a 12th-place finish and a personal best time of 25:01.14; which was over a minute faster than his season opener mark at the Covered Bridge Open in Boone. Senior Landon Milhorn (The Woodlands, Texas) finished right behind Ludvigsen in 15th-place and a career-best time of 25:03.78. Sophomore Filip Jalovy (Modrice, Czech Republic) was the Bucs final runner in the top-30 with a mark of 25:17.26, good for 29th-place. Sophomore Adam Chase (Kingsport, Tenn.) was tabbed the Bucs fourth-man with a time of :25:26.18 which was good for 37th-place. Junior Desmond Pierce (Morristown, Tenn.) rounded out ETSU’s top-five with a season-best 25:30.60 time.

Head coach George Watts said, “I am very happy with the team’s performances. Our men’s team had a 29 second spread with all but one with a personal best today. Anders ran in the lead pack the entire race to lead the team today.”

Freshmen Katie Hirko (Oley, Pa) led the women’s squad for the third consecutive meet with her first career top-three finish. Hirko’s time of 18:04.47 put her in third out of 121 runners. Junior Chelsea Clark (Fairmont, W. Va.) once again was the Bucs second runner with a 15th-place finish and clocked a time of 18:37.45. Rookie Lisa Pallotta (Leesburg, Va.) ran a personal-best time of 19:32.35 to be ETSU’s third runner for the first time this season. Senior Melissa Peters (Mesa, Ariz.) clocked a time of 19:38.05 while Jessica Palmer (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) rounded out the Bucs top-five with a season best time of 20:00.32.

“The women continue to improve at the same pace as the men. Once again Katie led the team and continues to impress. The ladies improved on average close to a minute per runner from the last time we ran on this course. I am very proud of all the kids and impressed with their desire and determination to get better every day,” noted Watts.

Wake Forest swept both titles with 31 points for the men and 44 points for the women.

The Blue Ridge Open was the last meet for ETSU to prepare for the Atlantic Sun Championships which will be hosted by FGCU on Saturday, Oct. 27.

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